The Raiders have hired 39-year old Dennis Allen to be their new head coach.  He has been an assistant coach in the NFL for 10 years.  He was the Denver’ Broncos’ defensive co-ordinator last season.  The Broncos gave up 126.3 yards rushing (4.1 ypc), 231.5 yards passing (93.1 QB Rating) and 24.4 points per game last season.  It was smart of the Raiders to go for a defensive minded coach in Allen.  I think he did the best he could in Denver with the talent on hand.  I think he will improve the Raiders’ D in 2012 and beyond, especially against the run.

Raiders’ owner Al Davis helped his team with picking quite a few solid players last April.  Don’t forget that he took QB Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft, but he didn’t get into any games.  Here is a look at how the rookies did in their first taste of the NFL:

22-year old guard Steve Wisniewski came to the Raiders in the 2nd round last April.  He played in 16 games (all starts) for the Raiders last year.  He is going to be a fixture on the Raiders’ O-Line for a long, long time.

22-year old CB DeMarcus Van Dyke was a 3rd round pick of the Raiders.  He played in 14 games for the Raiders last year and he had 13 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 tackle for a loss, 4 passes defensed and 1 interception.  Look for him to start having a bigger role on D starting in 2012.

24-year old OT Joseph Barksdale was picked in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft.  He played in 16 games (0 starts) for the Raiders last year.  He could develop into a starter for the Raiders in the near future.

23-year old CB Chimdi Chekwa was a 4th round pick by the Raiders last April.  He played in only 4 games in which he had 8 tackles and 2 passes defensed.  Look for him to play more in 2012.

23-year old RB Taiwan Jones also came to the Raiders in the 4th round.  He played in 10 games for the Raiders last year and he carried the ball 16 times for 73 yards (4.6 ypc).  He also caught 2 passes for 25 yards (12.5 avg) and he returned 8 kickoffs for 165 yards (20.8 avg).  Look for Jones’ role to expand in 2012.

23-year old WR Denarius Moore was a 5th round steal for the Raiders.  Moore played in 13 games for the Raiders last year and he caught 33 passes for 618 yards (18.7 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  He also carried the ball 5 times for 61 yards (12.2 ypc) last season.  Moore didn’t stop there though as he returned 25 punts for 216 yards (8.6 avg) and 2 kickoffs for 37 yards (18.5 avg).  Moore is going to be a dynamic player for the Raiders because of his speed and playmaking ability.

24-year old TE Richard Gordon was picked in the sixth round by the Raiders.  He played in 14 games for the Raiders last year and he caught 1 pass for 2 yards.  He also had 7 tackles as he helped out on special teams.

24-year old WR David Ausberry also came to the Raiders in the 7th round.  Ausberry played in 12 games for the Raiders last year and he caught 2 passes for 14 yards (7.0 avg).  He also carried the ball 1 time for -2 yards and he had 7 tackles, earning his money on special teams.

GRADE FOR 2011:  B

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  A

The Oakland Raiders have fired 46-year old head coach Hue Jackson after only one year.  He led the Raiders to an 8-8 record and a three way tie for first place in the AFC West with the Chargers and Broncos.  But, the Raiders lost the tiebreaker to the Broncos.  The Raiders averaged 22.4 points per game and 379.5 total yards on offense under Hue Jackson’s direction.  But, the defense was pathetic for the Raiders last year.  The Raiders gave up 27.1 points per game and 387.5 yards per game last season and it did them in.  New GM Reggie McKenzie decided the Jackson was getting a little too big for his britches, so he decided to can him and start over.

32-year old Carson Palmer came over from the Bengals in a deal after Jason Campbell broke his collarbone, and he was pretty average.  Palmer played in 10 games (9 starts) for the Raiders last year and he completed 199 of 328 passes (60.7%) for 2,753 yards with 13 TD passes and 16 INTs (80.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 16 times for 20 yards (1.3 ypc) with 1 TD run.  The Raiders were 4-5 (44.4%) in games that Palmer started in 2011.  Palmer has now played in 107 games (106 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 2,223 of 3,545 (62.7%) for 25,447 yards with 167 TD passes and 116 INTs (86.3 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 195 times for 336 yards (1.7 ypc) with 6 TD runs in his NFL career.  Palmer now has a 50-56 record (47.2%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.

30-year old Jason Campbell was the Raiders’ best QB last year, but his season ended early due to injury.  Campbell played in 6 games (all starts) for the Raiders last year and he completed 100 of 165 passes (60.6%) for 1,170 yards with 6 TD passes and 4 INTs (84.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 18 times for 60 yards (3.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs for the Raiders.  Campbell was 4-2 (66.7%) as the Raiders’ starting QB last year.  Campbell has now played in 71 games (70 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 1,296 of 2,131 passes (60.8%) for 14,417 yards with 74 TD passes and 50 INTs (82.8 QB Rating).  Campbell has also carried the ball 218 times for 1,068 yards (4.9 ypc) with 6 TD carries.  Campbell is 31-39 (44.3%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.

30-year old Kyle Boller was incredibly awful for the Raiders last year.  He played in 2 games (1 start) for the Raiders last year and he completed 15 of 28 passes (53.6%) for 161 yards with 0 TD passes and 3 INTs (31.1 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 9 times for 38 yards (4.2 ypc) last year for the Raiders.  Boller was 0-1 as the Raiders’ starting QB last year.  Boller has now played in 67 games (47 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 861 of 1,519 passes (56.7%) for 8,931 yards with 48 TD passes and 54 INTs (69.5 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 176 times for 572 yards (3.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his NFL career so far.  Boller is now 20-27 (40.8%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.

The Raiders’ offense did their part last Sunday, but the defense and special teams failed them.  Carson Palmer was very solid as he completed 28 of 43 passes for 417 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT.  Michael Bush led the way on the ground for the Raiders in this game with 66 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.5 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 13 yards.  WRs Darrius Heyward-Bey (9 rec, 130 yards, TD), Denarius Moore (3 rec, 101 yards) and Louis Murphy (5 receptions for 72 yards and 1 carry for 27 yards) led the way for the Raiders in the passing game.  TE Kevin Boss pitched in with 3 grabs for 33 yards (11.0 avg) and a TD grab.  The Raiders finished up with 103 yards rushing on 24 carries (4.3 ypc) and they also completed 28 of 43 passes (65.1%) for 417 yards as they had possession of the ball for 29:33.

The defense and special teams were awful for the Raiders in this game.  Chargers’ WR Richard Goodman returned a kickoff 105 yards for a TD in this game.  LB Rolando McClain led the way for the Raiders in this game with 10 tackles.  Safeties Tyvon Branch (6 tackles) and Matt Giordano (4 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) also pitched in for the Raiders in this game.  The Chargers finished up with 153 yards rushing on 31 carries (4.9 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 26 passes (73.1%) for 310 yards in this game.  The Raiders finished the 2011 season with an 8-8 record.

The Oakland Raiders have a lot to play for tomorrow.  They can win the AFC West with a win over the Chargers and a Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs.  They can also make the playoffs with a win over the Chargers and a lot of help.  The Raiders beat the Chargers 24-17 earlier this year.  The Chargers have won three of their last four games but they were whacked hard by the Lions 38-10 last weekend in Detroit.  This could (and should) be Norv Turner’s last game as the head coach of the Chargers.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders rushed for 191 yards against the Chargers in the first meeting, so look for Michael Bush (157 yards rushing on 30 carries) to have a really heavy workload.  As soon as the Chargers sneak closer to the line to stop Bush, Carson Palmer is going to attack the Chargers down the field off play action passes.  Darrius Heyard-Bey and Denarius Moore’s speed are going to give the Chargers’ corners big time issues tomorrow.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are going to attack the Raiders on the ground and through the air tomorrow.  RBs Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert are going to take aim at a Raiders’ D that is allowing 135.0 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry so far this year.  The Raiders are going to have to get after Philip Rivers, because if he has time to throw the ball….they are in for trouble.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 33, CHARGERS 30

The Raiders have sent a trio of players to the Pro Bowl.  32-year old DT/DE Richard Seymour got a lot of respect due to his past production as he has played in 15 games for the Raiders so far this year in which he has 27 tackles, 6 sacks and 3 passes defensed.  33-year old kicker Sebastian Janikowski will be the kicker for the AFC.  He has played in 14 games for the Raiders so far this year and he has connected on 27 of 31 field goals (87.1%) including a 63-yard bomb.  Janikowski has made 9 field goals of over 50 yards so far this year.  He has also made all 34 of his extra point attempts this year as he has scored 115 points so far this year.  35-year old punter Shane Lechler is also going to the Pro Bowl.  He has played in 15 games for the Raiders so far this year and he has punted the ball 77 times for 3,902 yards (50.7 avg).  He only has 8 touchbacks (10.4%) and he has placed the ball inside the opposing 20-yard line 27 times (35.1%).

The Raiders got a big win last Saturday in K.C.  Carson Palmer did not have a good game.  He completed 16 of 26 passes for 237 yards with 1 TD pass and 2 INTs.  Michael Bush led the way on the ground with 70 yards rushing on 23 carries (3.0 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 24 yards (12.0 avg).  WRs Denarius Moore (6 rec, 94 yards, TD) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (4 rec, 70 yards) led the way for the Raiders in the passing game.  The Raiders finished up with 71 yards rushing on 25 carries (2.8 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 26 passes (61.5%) for 237 yards as they had possession of the ball for 29:34.

The Raiders also got excellent production out of the special teams in this game.  CB Bryan McCann returned 3 kickoffs for 149 yards (49.7 avg) with one return that went for 91 yards.  DE Trevor Scott blocked a 49-yard field goal by the Chiefs’ Ryan Succop…which sent the game into overtime, where the Raiders won.

The defense gave up a lot of yards, but they also made a lot of big plays on Saturday.  Safety Matt Giordano had a huge game as he led the way for the Raiders on D with 10 tackles, 1 pass defense and a interception that he returned 91 yards.  LB Rolando McClain (8 tackles and 1 pass defensed), CB Lito Sheppard (7 tackles) and CB Stanford Routt (interception) also had solid games on D for the Raiders.  The Chiefs finished up with 135 yards rushing on 30 carries (4.5 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 36 passes (58.3%) for 300 yards.  The Raiders are now 8-7 on the season and they can win the NFC West with a win over the Chargers next weekend and a Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs.

The Oakland Raiders have lost three games in a row, including last week’s heartbreaker….28-27 to the Lions at the Black Hole.  The Raiders have lost three games in a row now and they are looking terrible, especially on defense as they have given up 108 points in the those games.  The Raiders got thumped 28-0 in Oakland in the first matchup between these two teams.  The Chiefs are 1-0 under new head coach Romeo Crennel as they beat the Packers last weekend at Arrowhead Stadium.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are likely going to come out running the ball against the Chiefs tomorrow.  The Chiefs are giving up 130.4 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry, so Michael Bush should be able to find some running room.  The Chiefs picked off 6 passes (3 off Kyle Boller and 3 off Carson Palmer) in the first meeting between these two teams.  Carson Palmer is going to have to be careful throwing the ball down the field in this game.  The Raiders have the speed at WR to hit homeruns, so Palmer will need to get the balls to them in stride.

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to be pretty balanced tomorrow.  Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle are going to attack the Raiders between the tackles.  The Raiders are giving up 135.0 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry so far this year.  If the Chiefs get a good running game going, the Raiders are in deep trouble.  That is because Kyle Orton looked really solid last weekend against the Packers.  Orton can get the ball down the field to Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston in this game if he has time to throw the ball.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 27, RAIDERS 20

The Raiders gave up 14 unanswered points in the last 7:47 of this game as their defense let them down big time.  Carson Palmer was outstanding in this game as he completed 32 of 40 passes for 367 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  Michael Bush led the way on the ground for the Raiders yesterday with 77 yards rushing on 18 carries (4.3 ypc) and he also caught 7 passes for 62 yards (8.9 avg).  Fullback Marcel Reece pitched in with 1 carry for 26 yards and 3 receptions for 16 yards.  WR Louis Murphy carried the ball 2 times for 16 yards (8.0 ypc) with a TD run and he also caught 1 pass for 8 yards.  WR Darrius Heyward-Bey led the way for the Raiders in this game with 8 grabs for 155 yards (19.4 avg) with 1 TD catch.  WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6 rec, 52 yards) and TE Kevin Boss (3 rec, 47 yards) also pitched in for the Raiders in the passing game.  The Raiders finished up with 132 yards rushing on 22 carries (6.0 ypc) and they also completed 32 of 40 passes (80%) for 345 yards as they had possession of the ball for 31:33.

The defense really let the Raiders down in the 4th quarter today and it could wind up costing them a playoff spot.  LB Rolando McClain (9 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit), CB Lito Sheppard (8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss) and safety Matt Giordano (8 tackles) led the way for the Raiders on D in this game.  OLB Aaron Curry pitched in with 3 tackles, 1 pass defensed, 1 QB hit and a fumble recovery that he returned 6 yards for a TD also had a solid game for the Raiders today.  The Lions finished up with 57 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.0 ypc) and they also completed 29 of 52 passes (55.8%) for 375 yards.  The Raiders are now 7-7 on the season.